Virtual learning

Today, millennials have embraced technology in every sense of the word and in every part of their life, and now more than ever, it plays a significant role in their learning.

The online virtual environment is something I began to explore because I have a faculty member, Miklos Sarvary, who, with great foresight, decided a few years ago to build an INSEAD virtual campus in Second Life. If you have not yet had an opportunity to visit Second Life, it is worth taking a look as it is very interesting and, according to the experts, it is the kind of technology interface that will play an increasingly important role in the near future.

You can create your own persona via an “avatar” that represents you in the 3-dimensional world of Second Life. Unlike other 3D game environments, however, in Second Life there are no rules so the users can create whatever they like. Anyone can buy virtual land (from Linden Lab, the creator of Second Life) and build what they want on it.

INSEAD has the reputation of being innovative and open to new ideas.

We also have a long history of creating web-enabled business tools, such as simulations, that allow participants to “learn by doing”. Second Life has provided us with a wonderful environment in which to explore new ways of delivering learning, of extending our reach, and even opens up new possibilities for carrying out research. As Miklos Sarvary says, “For a multicampus establishment like INSEAD, Second Life is revolutionary.”